Now Singapore Taxi companies also want to increase fares

[skyleon]

Authorities approve surge pricing option for taxi operators


The new surge pricing model will complement the existing metered-fare model for commuters

Published: 1:40 PM, March 17, 2017

Updated: 2:02 PM, March 17, 2017



SINGAPORE — Commuters booking taxis via mobile applications can expect dynamic pricing in the form of flat fares soon, after the Public Transport Council (PTC) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) gave the approval on Friday (March 17).

Earlier this month, the major taxi operators in Singapore submitted their proposal for dynamic pricing - also commonly known as surge pricing - where fares fluctuate according to supply and demand.

Their proposals came after ride-hailing platform Grab first engaged the authorities in Dec 2016 to implement dynamic fixed fares for taxis.

Mr Melvin Vu, Head of GrabTaxi Singapore said: “The current taxi fare model does not account for real-time passenger demand and driver supply, which often means that passengers pay a surcharge even when there are many available taxis within the vicinity.

“Dynamic fixed fares ensure that taxis are better utilised throughout the day and passengers enjoy more affordable rides based on real-time market demands, while not eliminating metered fares.”

Shortly after the green light was given by the authorities, SMRT Taxis announced a partnership with Grab in a separate statement, making the latter the exclusive third-party booking app for the operator.


continue reading here : http://m.todayonline.com/singapore/a...taxi-operators


Somehow or other not surprise . Sure to approve . I will rather choose the meter reading .

[skyleon]

Five taxi firms to roll out dynamic pricing next week


By Valerie Koh

Published: 4:00 AM, March 22, 2017



SINGAPORE — Following approval granted by the authorities last week, five taxi operators — SMRT Taxis, Prime Taxi, Premier Taxis, Trans-Cab and HDT Singapore Taxi — will implement dynamic pricing from next Wednesday for trips booked through the Grab mobile application, under a collaboration between the operators and the ride-hailing company.

The new JustGrab service will be trialled from today among Grab employees and commuters on its rewards programme, using cabs from SMRT Taxis, Trans-Cab, HDT Singapore Taxi, as well as private-hire cars.

Announcing the roll-out date yesterday, GrabTaxi Singapore head Melvin Vu also sought to allay fears that dynamic pricing — or surge pricing — would not only lead to higher taxi booking fares during periods of high demand, but also the likelihood of cabs ignoring street commuters during peak hours.

The fare system for JustGrab will be similar to the system for Grab’s private-hire car service GrabCar, which charges a fixed fare, subject to dynamic pricing. Grab said that based on data from January and last month, average fares for GrabCar, in some instances, were a few dollars cheaper than fares for its GrabTaxi services, which uses a metered fare system.

Given the larger supply of vehicles under the new JustGrab service, the company said it expects fares to be even lower (at least a dollar cheaper than fares for GrabCar).

Speaking to TODAY, Mr Vu reiterated that a “measured and calibrated” approach would be taken for dynamic pricing, and with a “huge supply pool” right from the start, “prices will be cheaper and fluctuate less”.

Grab declined to reveal the number of taxi drivers who will be part of the new service. Nevertheless, the five operators have a combined fleet size of around 10,700 vehicles.


continue reading here : http://m.todayonline.com/singapore/f...cing-next-week

[locust]

Glad I don't take taxi anymore.

[Overstood]

Originally Posted by locust

Glad I don't take taxi anymore.

Same here as well.

[localla]

taxi is for families with children,old ,handicap ppl.
plan time properly use bus n mrt.

[skyleon]

Dynamic pricing less than attractive for cabbies



Many say they will only take bookings during surge periods



By Valerie Koh

Published: 4:00 AM, March 30, 2017


SINGAPORE — After trying out the new JustGrab service launched for beta-testing a week ago, cabbies said they would be more judicious about accepting such bookings, noting that they are less profitable.

While a handful acknowledged the new service could spare them from having to cruise empty for passengers, many said they would take JustGrab bookings only during periods with high surge pricing, such as during a major train breakdown.

Five taxi operators — SMRT Taxis, Prime Taxi, Premier Taxis, Trans-Cab and HDT Singapore Taxi — fully rolled out JustGrab yesterday, allowing passengers to pick fixed fares over metered fares. The option by ride-hailing app Grab is subject to surge pricing, where fares are determined by demand for and supply of rides.

Checks yesterday showed that a JustGrab ride from Bishan to Havelock Road cost S$12, S$22 and S$13 at 7.30am, 8.30am and 9.30am, respectively. In contrast, metered fares were estimated to be between S$15 and S$20 during the same period. In the evening, a trip between One Marina Boulevard and Choa Chu Kang was S$41 on JustGrab, and projected to be between S$26 and S$34 for metered fare.

Passengers who tried JustGrab yesterday said their fares were more affordable, in comparison with GrabCar. Consultant Ling Low got a ride within 10 seconds of booking and paid S$7 to go from Raffles Place to Suntec City in the afternoon. “I used to wait longer before I could find a ride. The fixed fare is also great — it is comparable to what I usually pay,” Ms Low, 26, said.


continue reading here : http://m.todayonline.com/singapore/d...active-cabbies


Another failed system .

[MaiLuanKong]

Same cat and mouse game, cabbies only come out when the fare is good

[skyleon]

ComfortDelGro announces flat fare option for taxi bookings


CHRISTOPHER TAN, THE STRAITS TIMES


Apr 04, 2017 06:00 am


Just days after Grab launched dynamic pricing for taxis and taxi-like services, ComfortDelGro announced details of a flat fare option it was rolling out on its own cab-hailing app.

Singapore's largest taxi operator said it will offer the option from Monday for taxi bookings made through its phone app.

The option will be made available alongside the traditional metered fare on Comfort and CityCab taxis.

The flat fare option computes fares and flashes this ahead of a trip, taking into account the distance to be travelled and all existing surcharges, including the booking fee.

"Once a flat fare is chosen, there will be no additional surcharges unless the passenger changes the destination point or makes unplanned stops along the way," ComfortDelgro's spokesman said.

A $5 charge for every additional stop enroute and a $5 charge for a change to a further destination (for every 5km additional travelled) are applicable.

But travel delays arising from traffic jams will not result in a higher fare, unlike the metered fare option.

ComfortDelGro said its drivers will be encouraged to take on flat fare bookings through a waiver of the call levy.

The company declined to say how much this levy is, but cabbies said it is 40 cents per call.

FLUCTUATE

It also said it is still exploring dynamic pricing, which allows fares to fluctuate with demand.

Experts said the transport giant is treading cautiously with dynamic pricing given that cabbies from operators that have embraced it were not thrilled that their fares were lowered.



continue reading here : http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/com...-taxi-bookings

[skyleon]

Don't stop taxi industry from adapting to competition: Ng Chee Meng


Posted 04 Apr 2017 14:41
Updated 04 Apr 2017 14:50



SINGAPORE: Amid stiff competition from Grab and Uber private-hire cars, the local taxi industry should not be stopped from adapting to new market conditions, such as by introducing dynamic pricing, said Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng in Parliament on Tuesday (Apr 4).

Last month, local taxi companies were given the green light to roll out dynamic fares, popularly known as surge pricing, for trips booked through mobile applications. With surge pricing, the cost of a taxi trip booked through a mobile app will vary according to demand. This means that commuters will pay more during peak hour and high-demand periods, and pay less when demand is low.

Mr Ng noted that several taxi operators had applied to the Public Transport Council (PTC) to implement dynamic pricing as “they felt they had to make this move in order to compete against private-hire car services”.


“The PTC was conscious that some commuters are uncomfortable, but on balance allowed it,” added Mr Ng, who noted that the local taxi industry should not be prevented from "adapting to meet stiffer competition".

“Livelihoods are at stake, and the competition will drive the industry to deliver better services to commuters,” Mr Ng said in response to a parliamentary question by Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Saktiandi Supaat.


"COMPETITION KEEPS FARES IN CHECK"

Competition with private-hire car services will also keep fares in check, Mr Ng said. "Metered fares will remain an option for commuters booking a taxi ride, if they are not comfortable with dynamic pricing.”

Taxi companies are required under the law to give commuters at least one week's notice before introducing dynamic pricing, according to Mr Ng.


On Mar 22, ride-hailing app provider Grab announced that it has combined its fleet of private-hire drivers and taxi drivers for a new dynamic fare pricing service, JustGrab. This means that commuters who book a trip through JustGrab will either be picked up by a GrabCar driver, or a taxi driver from one of Grab’s five taxi company partners - Premier, Prime, Trans-cab, HDT and SMRT.


continue reading here : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...e/3650498.html

[vieterians]

Hard work by taxi drivers, money goes to taxi companies

[SiaSuay]

All these price increases will definitely hurt your commuters and your taxi drivers . Once the commuters find that it is more expensive to take a cab they will adjust their travel pattern and this will in turn hurt your taxi drivers' incomes.

[slientasshole]

fuck lah just a way to prevent pple from jumping ship nia.... of course another way for e gahmen to increase their taking ......

[skyleon]

SMRT working to expand hourly taxi rental scheme


By Olivia Siong
Posted 05 Apr 2017 22:16
Updated 05 Apr 2017 23:13


SINGAPORE: Public transport operator SMRT is planning to expand its hourly taxi rental scheme after receiving positive results almost two months after its launch.

More than 1,000 cabbies have signed up for the scheme, which is an alternative to the traditional daily leasing.

Buoyed by the response, SMRT said it hopes to have five times the number of cabs currently available for hourly rentals by the year's end. About 90 per cent of those on the scheme have a vocational licence but were not driving taxis previously.

One of them is 52-year-old Liow Leong Eng, who now drives about seven hours a day, three days a week.

"The taxi driver is supposed to just concentrate on driving the taxi, provide a professional chauffeuring service from point A to point B, rather than worry about rental cost, hirers' relief, MC,” said Mr Liow. “(With) this flexible scheme, I actually don't worry about covering cost because the cost of rental is very, very low. So within two hours I will be able to cover my rental cost and petrol cost."


Under the scheme, rental charges range from S$5.80 to S$12.80 per hour. In comparison, traditional daily rentals with SMRT cost between S$108 and S$125. Channel NewsAsia understands private hire drivers with other ride hailing services fork out about S$60 a day to rent a car.


continue reading here : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...e/3654916.html

[skyleon]

ComfortDelGro hopes to woo riders with flat-fare rates


By Wong Pei Ting

Published: 4:00 AM, April 11, 2017

Updated: 7:24 AM, April 11, 2017



SINGAPORE — ComfortDelGro started offering its flat taxi-fare option yesterday, which costs slightly less in general compared with metered trips or those booked on ride-hailing apps, whether during off-peak hours in the afternoon or the evening peak period.

Taxi drivers with the company said that the new option would help them get more rides, adding that passengers would stand to gain since they do not have to pay more during jams, and the surcharges that come with cashless payments.

The drivers themselves could pocket more, because they would not have to cough up the 10-per-cent commission payment when taking bookings via the Grab app or the call-booking levy of 40 cents previously imposed by ComfortDelGro.

To further incentivise drivers, the operator will also give S$100 to 1,000 drivers fulfilling the most flat-fare assignments this month. This information was sent to the cabbies via their mobile data terminals.

Checks yesterday on ComfortDelGro’s mobile application showed that a flat-fare ride from Raffles Place to Yishun costs S$18.50 at 3pm, and S$26.50 at 6pm when peak-hour charges began.

These prices are in the range of the traditional metered fare — S$17.50 to S$19.50 for 3pm and S$25 to S$27.50 for 6pm — still on offer through the app at the same timings.

The estimated price of a Uber ride, calculated on a surge-pricing model, was 70 cents cheaper than Comfort’s S$18.50 at 3pm, but it became S$1.86 more than the flat fares that Comfort was offering during the after-work peak hour.

For a JustGrab ride, prices stayed consistently higher than the flat-fare rates, costing S$20 at 3pm and S$31 at 6pm across the same destinations.

ComfortDelGro, in charge of about 60 per cent of the taxi fleet in Singapore, announced that it would roll out the flat-fare option last Monday, just days after Grab switched to dynamic pricing for taxis and taxi-like services.


continue reading here : http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...lat-fare-rates

[skyleon]

Just would like to seek feedback from bros and sistas who take taxis regularly :

1) Has the fares become more affordable or more expensive ?
2) Has it been easier to take a cab or are the taxis still playing hide and seek ?

For the taxi drivers :

1) Have your earnings improve with the introduction of pricing rates ?
2) Are you able to find more passengers ?

Your feedback is greatly appreciated .